For purposes of this article:

(1) "Branch office" means a place of business separate from the principal place of business where building services are offered or provided. A specific project or construction site office is not a branch office.

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 40-59-400

  • Commission: means the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission. See South Carolina Code 40-59-20
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Firm: means a business entity functioning as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability partnership, professional association, professional corporation, business corporation, limited liability company, joint venture or other legally constituted organization which practices or offers to practice residential building or residential specialty contracting. See South Carolina Code 40-59-20
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Residential builder: means one who constructs, superintends, or offers to construct or superintend the construction, repair, improvement, or reimprovement of a residential building or structure which is not over three floors in height and which does not have more than sixteen units in any single apartment building, when the cost of the undertaking exceeds five thousand dollars. See South Carolina Code 40-59-20
  • Residential specialty contractor: means an independent contractor who contracts with a licensed residential builder, general contractor, or individual property owner to do construction work, repairs, improvement, or reimprovement which requires special skills and involves the use of specialized construction trades or craft, when the undertakings exceed five hundred dollars and are not regulated by the provisions of Chapter 11. See South Carolina Code 40-59-20

(2) "Commission" means the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission established in Article 1.

(3) "Firm" means a business entity functioning as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability partnership, professional association, professional corporation, business corporation, limited liability company, joint venture, or other legally constituted organization which offers or provides building services through licensed residential builders, residential specialty contractors, or home inspectors.

(4) "Private practice firm" means a firm through which the practice of residential building, residential specialty contracting, or home inspecting requires a residential business certificate of authorization as described in this chapter.

(5) "Resident licensee" means a licensed practitioner who spends a majority of each normal workday working out of a principal or branch office and who is in responsible charge of the office and the building services provided from that office including, but not limited to, responsibility for applying for permits for the firm.

(6) "Responsible charge" means the direction of building services by a residential builder, residential specialty contractor, or home inspector to the extent that successful completion of the building services is dependent on the personal supervision, direct control, and final decisions by the qualified registrant to the extent that the qualified registrant assumes professional responsibility for the building services.